Dim the lights and uncork the wine. The avatar of romance Italian-style, is back. After devoting himself for a time to his operatic aspirations, Andrea Bocelli returns to the milieu where he achieved international stardom. CIELI DI TOSCANA harks back to ROMANZA, his breakthrough 1997 release that captivated a multitude of admirers, and picks up where his last pop album, SOGNO, left off. The album captures the warm-voiced tenor at what he does best: professing the joys and sorrows of love through his heartfelt renditions of lush, ultra-romantic ballads.

Bocelli hews to the winning formula of the earlier discs, relying once again on the songwriting skills of Francesco Sartori and David Foster, among others, for the soaring, dramatic tunes that are his stock in trade. Sumptuously produced songs such as "Mille Lune Mille Onde," "Chiara," and "Mascagni" are evocative soundscapes of Bocelli's cherished Tuscan homeland, tailor-made vehicles for the singer's romantic vocal stylings. Other notable tracks include "L'Abitudine," partnering the tenor with newcomer Helena for the obligatory love duet, and "L'Incontro," featuring Bono in the recitation of a poem written by Bocelli. CIELI DI TOSCANA has the hallmarks of another crowd-pleasing effort by this enormously popular artist.